The Only Guardian
by Metallicafangirl
Summary: War has come to Hyrule, and it is up to Sheik to stop it. (I have created my own version of Sheik, he is NOT Zelda) Eventually romance.
1. Lone pair of Watchful Eyes

I thought I should do a Zelda: Ocarina of Time fic, but didn´t find anyone to write about. Until Sheik, that is. But it´s not the Sheik in the game. This guy only acts like him, has the same name and personality in general. It just isn´t the one in the game. Well, here goes.  
Oh, and I don´t own anything. Exept my version of Sheik.  
  
  
  
  
" Exit light. Enter night.  
Take my hand  
We´re of to Never-never land."  
- Metallica, Enter Sandman.  
  
Midnight in Hyrule Castle Town. The pale halfmoon casts long shadows over the sleeping city. Silence rules the dark streets.  
A lone pair of watchful eyes oversees the rooftops.The owner of these watchful eyes is Sheik, sole survivor of the Sheikah Tribe.  
He is not the one who helped Link two years ago, in his struggles against Ganondorf, that was Princess Zelda, in disguise.   
  
His eye-color is constantly shifting between blue and green, just as the eyes themselves keeps shifting from place to place, taking in everything.  
There is no expression in them, nothing but a constant watchfullness.   
The young man gets to his feet and his burden, the Sheikan Lance, is held over his shoulder as he leaps from roof to roof, seemingly without effort.   
  
As he reaches the last roof before the city-wall, he slips down into the dark alley-way, without even the slightest rustle of cloth.  
No one heard him as he walked out of the Hylian capital, leaving the sleeping city behind him. Well outside the walls of the city,  
he takes out a flute from under his blue shirt. He holds it up to his lips, hidden beneath white veils, and blows one note, much to high to be registred by   
the human ear. As an answer out of the dark night comes a horse, lithe and fast, with a gleaming sorrel coat.  
" Jazirah." The young man greets it, uttering the only word spoken that night, and then mounts the horse, riding into the darkness.  
  
The Sheikah has been the guardians of Hyrule for times beyond reconing, protecting it as their own country. Now Sheik is the only one left,  
as the lone guardian of all Hyrule. A heavy burden to put on such young shoulders, perhaps, but it is the only way.  
Now he is heading towards Lon Lon Ranch, to watch over it and to make sure everything is alright, before moving on to the next location.   
  
He reached the Ranch an hour before sunrise. He dismounted, and as if on some unheard signal, his horse galloped of into the dark.  
Silent as a shadow, Sheik slipped into the Ranch and just as the sun began to rise, he settled in for a long watch.  
  
It was not long before a young girl came out of the main building, heading for the corral in the middle of the Ranch. Unconcious of the eyes that followed her,  
she started milking one of the cows. A light breeze rustled her clothes, bringing her long red hairinto disarray. Sheik reached up to flick his ravenblack hair out  
of his eyes, and continued watching the girl as she carries the milk bucket to the stables. Half-way there, she meets a man in a red shirt.  
" Mornin´, dear," He said.  
" Good morning, dad." She answers, but her tone suggests that this morning is anything but good. This puzzled Sheik, and he decided that maby things weren´t  
as good on Lon Lon Ranch as they should be. He would stay and watch some more.  
  
  
  
Not bad, for a first chapter, and my first chapter of a Zelda fic too. Reweiw if you wan´t me to keep going.  
- Metallicafangirl. 


	2. The Ranch is burning

Hello Jordiscy! Thank you very much, you´re the first reweiwer I got on this fic! And of course you can use his horse´s name. I´m glad you like my Sheik, I rather preferre him this way too.  
Disclaimer; I don´t own anything!*sob*.  
  
  
" I remember my hometown,   
before the soldiers came"  
- Gary Moore, Back to the Wild frontier.  
  
A while later, the man in the red shirt got up on a cart filled with milkbottles. The young girl suddently looked desperate.  
" I´m of to the Castle Town, Malon. I won´t be beck in a while. Take care now." He said.   
" No! Please dad, don´t leave me here alone with him! Please don´t!" She said, holding on to the side of the cart. Her father looked sad.  
" You know I have to, Malon. If I could do anythin´ else, I would." He cracked his whip in the air over the two oxen pulling the cart, and rattled away from the Ranch, leaving his daughter behind. Sheik silently leaned forward, concentrating. This could be the root of the problem. To himself, he wondered who ´him´ was.  
  
He got his answer only second later, when a man clad in expensive clothing came rushing out of the house. The mans eyes focused on the girl called Malon.  
" You stupid wench! You left me a cold breakfast!" He yelled, and slapped her across the face, sendig her sprawling to the ground. Sheik froze. The man then continued by kicking the poor girl in the ribbs, causing her to hit her head in a crate, knocking her unconcious. Slowly, a cold clear rage replaced Sheiks inaction, and quickly he pulled out his bow, an arrow ready on the bowstring.  
  
Ingo, for it was him, had gotten up that morning, gotten dressed and gotten down the stairs to a breakfast. A cold one. Again. He decided to give Malon a sound thrashing for being so inconsiderate.  
  
Just when he was about to kick her again, a voice called out from above him.  
" Step away from the girl. NOW!"  
Ingo looked desperatley around him, trying to see the owner of the voice. However, he didn´t see anyone.  
" How dare you treathen me!? Do you know who I am?"   
" No." Came the answer. Ingo kicked Malon again in frustration.  
  
When Sheik saw the man kick her again, he didn´t hesitate for a moment, but shot the wretched man straight thtough the heart. He knew the man was dead, even before the arrow hit its mark. Sheik was a very good archer, and he seldom missed a shot. He jumped down from the roof, landing not far from the unconcious girl. She seemed to be breathing, but she had taken severe damage, due to the beating she had recieved. Sheik´s head jerked up at the sound of hoofbeats approaching the Ranch. A second later, the milk-cart came into veiw, with the girls father slumped over the drivers seat. When he saw Sheik, his head jerked, just as sheik´s had done.  
" Who are you?" He whispered. Now noticing the crossbow-bolt embedded in the carts side, matching the one in the mans stomch, Sheik answered.  
" Sheik."  
" Get Malon....away."   
" But you?" The man shook his head.  
" I know....I will.....die. The bandits.... will come... soon." Quickly, Sheik scooped the girl up into his arms and made a hasty retreat.  
  
Minutes later, the bandits were upon the farm, stealing what they could, burning what they couldn´t. All they found when they arrived, was two corpses. Being used to such thing they took no further notice. If they had, maby they would have realized that none of the men had a bow, yet both were shot.  
  
  
As he rode towards Gerudo Valley, Sheik took one look over his shoulder, and saw Lon Lon Ranch in flames. He turned his head back to the little path he was following, and glanced at the girl in his arms. Mournfully, he shook his head. Urging Jazirah on, he passed out of Hyrule, and into Gerudo Valley.  
  
  
  
  
Whew, kinda sad, but a lot better than the original plan! Hoping to pst chapter 3 soon.  
  
- Metallicafangirl 


	3. In the Valley of the Sheikah

In this chapter, you will find out where Sheik is taking Malon.   
And, LiNkLuVr13, as I said in the last chapter, the bandits burned Lon Lon Ranch.  
This chapter took a little longer than the others, but finally it´s here! This one´s for you. Jordiscy, thank you for rewiewing!  
  
  
  
" I´m alive, but tell me, am I free?  
I´ve got eyes, but tell me, can I see?  
The sky is falling, and no none knows.  
It shouldn´t be hard to belive  
It shouln´t be this difficult to breathe"  
- Lifehouse, Sky is Falling  
  
  
  
Malon woke up and opened her eyes, looking straight into a dusty ceiling of cloth. She blinked and turned her head, every muscle in her neck screaming in protest. The vision that met her eyes was that of sand, and gradually she became aware of the pressing heat in the air.  
" You´re awake." It wasn´t a question. It was a statement. The voice came from the other side of the tent. Malon turned her head towards it, and met the eyes of a figure clad in blue and white. He stared at her unblinkingly.  
" Where am I?" Malon asked him.   
" In the desert." The man answered, still staring at her.   
" Why?" She wondered, for the last thing she remembered was being kicked by Ingo.  
" Because I brought you here." He answered. Malon looked around and saw she was the only one in the tent, exept the blue-clad man.  
" Where´s my father?" She asked. The man looked at her for a while before answering her.  
" He is dead." He whispered, a hint of sadness and pity creeping into his voice. Malon´s throat tightened with tears.  
" You´re lying!" She choked out, the tears threatening to fall.  
" No. I saw him die." The man answered, not looking at her anymore, instead opting to stare at the sky. Malon was suddently enraged.  
" The why didn´t you save him?! How could you let him die?!!" She shouted. The mans eyes narrowed, and he seemed to tense.  
" Because he asked me to get you out of there. Because he chose to die." He hissed, anger dripping of his tone. Then he abruptly got to his feet and walked out of the tent, leaving Malon alone.   
  
Once she was alone, Malon let her tears fall. She didn´t want the strange man to see her cry, but she suspected he knew anyway.   
Her rmother had died when she was born, but her father had always been there for her, no matter what happened, and now he was gone. She was all alone.  
All alone.  
  
Outside the tent Sheik was sitting on one of the countless sand-dunes, watching the shifting sands. The little valley was hidden in the endless desert beyond the Gerudo Fortress, and no one but Sheik knew about it, and the ones he told, of course. When he was younger, the valley had been the home of the Sheikah tribe, and there was always someone around to talk to. Now it was empty, exept for himself and the young girl.   
  
Malon dried her tears and sat up on the bedroll. She decided that no amount of tears could bring her father back, so she might as well stop. Now she wanted to know where she was, who the strange man was, and how she could get back home from here. Gritting her teeth together, she got to her feet and got out of the tent.  
  
Outside, she was met by bright sunlight and an endless veiw of sand and rocks. After some searching, she spotted the blue-clad man sitting not far from the tent, crouching on a sand-dune. She started for him, but before she had taken two steps, he turned his head.  
" Are you hungry?" He asked, causing Malon to stop.  
" No." She shook her head. She eyed him for a while, trying to remember why she recognized him.  
" Who are you?" She asked suspiciously. The man let out an amused chuckle.  
" It took you long enough to ask." He said.  
" Well, I figured that if you wanted to kill me, it wouldn´t matter if I knew your name." She reasoned, causing the man to chuckle again.  
" Why should I kill you, after I worked so hard to save you? My name is Sheik." He said, making Malon surprised.  
" Links friend?" She asked, for Link had mentioned Sheik several times. Sheik shook his head.  
" No. That was not me. It was someone who borrowed my name. I´ve never met the Hero of Time." He explained.  
" You haven´t?" Malon asked." I tought everyone had. I mean, everyone seemed to have." She cut her comment short, getting the feeling that she was babbling away. If Sheik noticed, he didn´t show it. Malon turned around, taking in the surroundings. They were in a little valley, surrounded on all for sides by tall cliffs, broken only by a narrow pass in eastern wall. Inside the valley itself, there was nothing but sand and rocks and the occational ruin of old buildings. There was something sad about the place, as if a great tradgedy had taken place here.  
" Where are we?" She asked, still watching the scenery.  
" In the home of the Sheikah tribe." Sheik answered. Even in the heat of the desert, Malon shivered. It was something in the way he said it, that made her aware of the feeling in the air. Looking around, she rubbed her arms.  
" What happened here?" She whispered, causing Sheik to look at her, astonished.  
" How do you know anything happened here?"   
" I....can feel it. It´s in the air." Sheik looked at her for a while before answering her.  
  
" The Sheikah tribe used to live here before the reign of Ganondorf. The valley was full of people, laughing, playing, training. There was always something happening, always someone awake, someone to talk to while on the watch." He started, refusing to look at her. Instead he watched the bare valley. Suddently, his eyes narrowed.  
" Then the soldiers came," He continued, and now his voice changed, taking on a hard edge." And they burned the buildings, plundered the little temple and killed the inhabitants. We Sheikah are a warrior people, but they were simply too many to defeat, and we were overrun in a matter of minutes. I was outside the valley at the time, but I returned in time to see my people practicly slaughtered in their beds." He took a deep breath, and blinked hard, trying to keep himself from crying his heart out infront of a girl he didn´t know.  
" I was standing at the top of the pass, seeing everything without being seen. Everything was burning, and the soldiers were everywhere. To this day, I can still wake up in the middle of the night, screaming because of the nightmares. I was just about to throw myself into the fighting when I saw a tall, redheaded figure in the middle of the valley rase his hand, something that looked like black fire shooting from his fist. I realized that it was Ganondorf himself down there, killing my friends and family." He dried his eyes, and started when Malon put a hand on his shoulder. He got himself together." We should get inside, it´s getting dark." Indeed, the sun was setting behind the mountains. He turned and walked inside the tent. Slowly, Malon followed him.  
  
  
  
  
Woohoo! I´ve got another chapter up! Don´t worry, you´ll hear the rest of the battle and the death of the Sheikans in the next chapter, but after that, I don´t exactly know what to write. Any ideas?  
- Metallicafangirl. 


	4. Memories of a Painful Past

Chapter four! I´m on a roll! I´ve been updating my two fics, the other one being You must be Joking!, with a chapter each almost every day!   
I am waaay to creative for my own good *sighs*. Anyway, Jordiscy, canihavea-soda, LiNkLuVr13, thank you for reweiwing! And, canihavea-soda?   
Err, I´ll just call you Soda, k? Anyway, I´ll be borrowing some ideas from your Untold Tales:Sheik, if that´s ok with you.   
By the way, go read that fic NOW! It´s amazing!  
  
  
  
  
" New blood joins this earth  
And quickly he´s subdued  
Through constant pained disgrace  
The young boy learns their rules"  
- Metallica, The Unforgiven.  
  
  
  
  
Sheik watched Malon as she shifted restlessly in her sleep, then went back to staring out over the little desert valley. The valley that had been his  
home during the first twelve years of his life. The valley he had been forced to leave when it was attacked by Ganondorf and his disgusting henchmen.  
Unconciously, Sheik re-lived the single most terrible day in his whole life.  
  
  
The young Sheikah boy was on his way home, climbing the steep, almost non-existant path to his village. When he reached the top of the pass   
he could hear screaming. Alarmed, he halted abruptly, hiding behind a crumbled pillar, a memory of a long forgotten past, and peered out behind it.  
The sight struck him dead.   
  
There were soldiers, if you could call that filthy scum soldiers, everywhere, slaughtering every Sheikah in sight. The screams were gut-wreching,  
and the sick stench of burning bodies only made it worse. They were burning the buildings in the valley, using their pikes and spears to keep the occupants   
inside, burning them alive. Sheik saw them robbing the tiny shrine of whatever valuables it held, dragging them outside and gathering them in a heap.   
  
Sheik couldn´t stand watching these dispiseable soldiers slaughtering his people any longer, and was just about to rush down there and help them,   
when he was interrupted by laughter. His head snapped around, his eyes searching wlidly for the source of the evil laughter. His eyes fell on a tall man,  
dressed all in black, with a shock of red hair. Ganondorf, King of the Gerudos.  
  
The Gerudo King lifted his hand, and with a flick of his wrist, released a wave of black fire, wiping out both his own soldiers and what Seikahs were still alive.   
Sheik forced back a scream that threatened to emerge, and remained in hiding. After watching the smouldering remains for a while, the black-clad king turned   
his horse .  
" Weaklings." The king muttered to himself before riding away over the desert.  
  
Afterwards, Sheik had got down in the valley, to look for survivors, if any, and to bury the dead. Predictably, there were no survivors,   
only the silence of the dead greeted him, and he set to work digging the graves. It was hard, for tears kept clouding his vision,   
and he was too small to work very fast.  
  
By sunset, he had finally dug the last grave, and thrown the sand back over the corpses. By then, he was too tired to care about anything but a bed to sleep in,  
but he knew that he had to leave. Ganondorf knew of this place, and could come back at any moment. Gathering the last of his strenght,   
Sheik set out on the perilous journey across the desert.  
  
  
Shaking his head to clear it from the troublesome memories, Sheik leaned back against the tent wall, and went to sleep. Tomorrow,  
he´d figure out what to do with Malon.  
  
  
Well, I rather like the way this one came out, and I´ve gotten around my writers block, and know how I will write the rest of the story.   
Or at least, I have an idea about how. Now, read and reweiw, so I know if you want me to continue.  
- Metallicafangirl. 


	5. Desert Wind

Here's the fifth chapter! I've received permission from Soda to use pieces of Sheiks past in my fic, and therefore, don´t be surprised if you recognize anything from her fic. To make the memories seem natural, I'll make ´em flashbacks. I've also borrowed a line from Masikas Aurikku fic, Cracka Cracka Boom. I credit it all to her, but it was too brilliant to pass up.  
  
  
  
" Quiet, a sound you know so well You're living just to make it through another day Stand, climb and fall Carry the world, can´t carry your own" - Lifehouse, Stanley Climbfall  
  
  
  
  
  
Malon woke the next morning of Sheik insistently shaking (no pun intended) her shoulder. " What?" She mumbled, not wanting to wake up just yet. Sheik chuckled. " Wake up, lazy, we're leaving." He said. Malon was awake faster than Chronos, almighty god of time, can say ´hi´ in fast forward. " What? Why?" She asked. Sheik shrugged, and started to gather his belongings. " Because I am going back to Hyrule, and I can't leave you alone here." He explained. " Why can't you? If you leave enough food, I'm sure I could take care of myself." Sheik rolled his eyes. " Malon?" " Yes?" " Can you tell the difference between a harmless sand scorpion, and a lethal one?" ".....No." " Does that answer your question?" Sheik looked at her." Now, we're leaving."  
  
Once again, Sheik pulled out the flute that he kept somewhere under his shirt, and blew. Malon couldn't hear anything, but not much later, a horse came galloping out of the desert, and came to a halt in front of Sheik. Malon gaped. The horse was simply beautiful. She was thrown back to reality by Sheik. " Maaaalooon?" He was waving his hand in front of her face, trying to get her to react. " Yes?" " You were lost there for a minute. Are you coming or not?" Malon rolled her eyes. " Like I have a choice." She stuck out her tongue at Sheik and mounted the horse behind him. Sheik only chuckled.  
  
They rode in silence, for it was too hot to talk in the desert. Malon kept her face buried in Sheiks back to avoid all the sand that his horse kicked up. Time seemed to pass slowly, but they had ridden for quite awhile when Sheik suddenly stopped, nearly causing Malon to fall of. She peeked over his shoulder, trying to see the reason for the sudden stop. Sheik was staring at something to the left. " Sheik, what's wrong?" She asked.  
  
Sheiks POV  
  
I stared at it. After all these years it was still here. I couldn't believe it.  
  
A little boy , walking across the scorched sands, leaning on what resembles a lance. A shadow falls over him, and he looks up, straight into the face of a man with red hair. The redheaded man smiles evilly. " Well, if it isn't a Sheikah. Still alive, are you?" The man asks. The little boy grips the lance tighter. The red-haired man chuckles and gestures to the guards that accompany him. " Tie him." He orders. Before the little boy has time to react, they have tied him up, and tethered him to.  
  
A pole of blackened wood, sticking out of the hot sand, old and nearly baked by the ever blistering sun.  
  
They had left him there, riding away over the desert, laughing at his shrill cries. The red-haired man had stayed a little longer than the rest, watching. Then he had chuckled again, apparently enjoying the sight, before turning his horse and riding away.  
  
He had stopped screaming after a while, constantly shifting position, trying to find a way to sit with as little pressure on his shoulders as possible. The sun was too hot, and the ropes too tight. He couldn't get them off. The vultures began to circle above him, sensing that he was going to die out there.  
  
Suddenly, the silence is shattered by a sharp neigh. The little boy looks up and sees a horse approaching him. Knowing that it could crack his scull with a single kick, the boy stays put. The horse walks around him, and starts tearing at the ropes with its teeth. Slowly realizing that the horse could be saving his life, the boy forces himself to remain still.  
  
Sheik snapped back to reality, and shook his head, but continued to watch the blackened pole. Even to this day, the rope still remains, fluttering in the desert wind. Finally, he realised that Malon was calling his name. " Sheik, what's wrong?" She asked. Once again, Sheik shook his head. " Nothing's wrong." He answers, and heads of across the desert, leaving the memory behind. At least for a while he will be able to forget. 


	6. Familiar Faces

Here we go again, another chapter.  
  
I haven't been able to update for a while, because my brother have been using my computer, and then we had problems with even getting online, and then, ff.net was down. And then (the list is getting long), I got sick, too sick to write, and then we went to Hagfors, a place in Sweden, and watched the Swedish Rally. Anyway, enough excuses, on with the story.  
  
Oh, and thank you so much for the reweiws!*author gets down on her knees* I couldn't find a suitable song-lyric for this chapter, but if you can, please tell me.  
  
Might as well do the boring stuff;  
  
I still don't own anything; I am a student and therefore have no money, so it would do you no good to sue me. The only thing I own is the plot, which my reweiwers keep telling me is very good, so there!  
  
  
  
The heat forced Malon to silence. She did not have anyone to talk to anyway, considering that Sheik wasn't a very talkative person, and horses aren't very good conversonalists, so she kept quiet. She wondered what had caused the sudden stop a while back, when Sheik had completely zoned out for several minutes, not responding when she called his name. But she had gotten no explanation, and didn't expect one either.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity, the air started to cool down. Malon peeked over her silent companions shoulder, and saw a breathtaking view.  
  
Before them was a huge gate, wrought in stone as grey as lead, with metal bars forming a net like web overhead. The gate was wider and taller than any other structure that Malon had ever seen.  
  
The gate was apparently their destination, for Sheik urged the horse on. Before they had come within a hundred meters from the gate, a voice boomed out;  
  
" Sheik, you little bastard! Where the Hell have you been?!" The owner of the voice was a redheaded female, clad in white silk pants and an equally white shirt, with her red hair in a pony-tail.  
  
Malon half expected Sheik to kill the red haired woman for insulting him, but to her surprise, he only shook his head mournfully.  
  
" In Hyrule. You should know that by now, Nabooru." Then his voice turned mocking.  
  
" But, of course, you might not have realized. After all, I only spend most of my waking hours there."  
  
" Don't get cocky with me, little boy, I am the leader of the Gerudo, and if I so choose, you will die before you take another breath." Nabooru said.  
  
" You wouldn't."  
  
" How can you be so sure, Sheikah-boy?"  
  
" Would you really kill me at the drop of a hat?"  
  
" Damn straight I would!"  
  
Sheik sighed deeply.  
  
" Why doesn't anyone like me?" He asked no one in particular.  
  
" You're too damn plain, boy! If you would just let me-" She didn't get further, as Sheik interrupted her.  
  
"NO! None of your fashion tips! You promised, Nabooru!"  
  
" Fashion tips?" Malon asked, bewildered.  
  
Nabooru grinned at Sheik.  
  
" So you've finally gotten yourself a girlfriend! About time , too!" She said. Malon blushed, and Sheik tensed.  
  
" Shut up, Nabooru, Malon is not my ´girlfriend´ ." He told the Gerudo leader. Said leader waved it away.  
  
" Whatever she is to you, you better let her down from that fancy horse of yours, or I'll beat you senseless. The poor girl looks ready to collapse! You're inconsiderate, Sheik, everyone doesn't have your endurance!"  
  
Sheik looked over his shoulder at Malon, and saw her tired features.  
  
" Sorry." He mumbled, while helping her of the horse. She smiled weakly at him.  
  
" It's all right. I'm just a little tired." She told him.  
  
" A little tired? My foot! You're about ready to drop, sister!" Nabooru told her.  
  
" Sister?"  
  
" Well, aren't you? I call all Gerudo's sister."  
  
" But I'm no Gerudo!" Malon protested. Nabooru took a step back and looked at her.  
  
" Red hair, quite tall, athletic build. You sure as hell look like a Gerudo."  
  
" But I'm from Hyrule."  
  
" Whatever you say, sister." Nabooru turned to Sheik." Now, why did you bring her here?"  
  
" She needs a safe place to stay, while I sort things out in Hyrule."  
  
" And you immediately thought of this place? I'm flattered!"  
  
" It's more like a last chance, than first choice." Sheik teased her. Nabooru growled, and the blue-clad boy gulped. He turned and ran like hell towards the fortress in the background, Nabooru hard on his heels.  
  
" Come back here, you nosy brat! I'll hit you so hard, your nose will end up in your ear!" She yelled.  
  
Left behind was a very confused Malon. Not knowing what to do, she followed.  
  
  
  
And that's chapter six. If you can, please think of a song for this chapter, and write it in your reweiw. I wanted to lighten up the mood after all those flashbacks, and Nabooru seems like a good character to do so with. Until next time, goodbye. Metallicafangirl 


	7. Departure

I'm baaaack! Bet you missed me, huh? *silence*. You didn't? Well, I can't blame you, I'm pretty annoying. I want to apologize for not updating, but I really have no idea where this fic is going. I'll try to write a good plot line, but I've never written a serious romance before, so it may turn out to be rather silly. But hey, can't blame me for trying!  
  
Some of this chapter will be from semi-Nabooru-POV. You'll get her views on Malon staying in Gerudo Fortress, and Sheik leaving her behind, for example.  
  
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤  
  
" Please don't be too long  
  
While you're gone  
  
There ain't enough to  
  
Keep me here too long "  
  
- Nickleback, Hollywood.  
  
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤  
  
Malon found Sheik and Nabooru after some searching. They were standing near the entrance to Gerudo Fortress, Sheik with his lance held up before him. Nabooru was waving some kind of garment at him, shouting obscenities at the top of her voice.  
  
When she finally paused for breath, Sheik seized the opportunity to speak.  
  
"We've had this argument before, Nabooru. I will not put on any other garment than the traditional Sheikah uniform. There is nothing you can say or do to change that. Now that that's settled, would you please stop pestering me?" He arched an eyebrow at her.  
  
"Or are you to busy trying to come up with new and improved curse words to describe me?"  
  
"I'm only trying to make your style less boring! Please, if you would just let me change the colour of you shirt- "  
  
"NO."  
  
" Fine, have it your way!"  
  
"Thank you, I rather think I will. Back to the more important topic. Will you let Malon stay here while I go back to Hyrule?"  
  
"Of course! You didn't even have to ask! Go away now, Sheikah-boy, and stop bothering me; I've got more important tasks to attend to."  
  
She shooed him away towards Gerudo Valley, and turned to Malon, who had watched the exchange silently. The girl was watching Sheiks retreating back, allowing Nabooru to get a good look at the new-comer. She was rather tall, even if she didn't match Sheik by a long-shot. But then again, no one was. She had the trademark red hair of the Gerudo, but she had blue eyes instead of the customary red or brown. She wasn't drop-dead gorgeous, but if she paid a bit more attention to her looks, she could become quite beautiful.  
  
Nabooru wasn't stupid, and she had seen those looks Sheik gave her. It might be worth working on. He hadn't stared at her with absolute worship in his eyes, but there was something there.  
  
" So, Malon was it?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am."  
  
" Oh, there's no need to be formal! Call me Nabooru, everyone else does. Anyway, Malon, let's get you settled in. You'll be staying here for some time, and you might as well get comfortable, because if I know Sheik right, and I'm sure I do, he's got something big going on. "  
  
" Alright, Nabooru."  
  
" What do you think of him? Sheik, I mean." Nabooru asked, watching the girls face closely.  
  
" Think about him?" Malon asked, confused." He's nice, I suppose. I met him only a couple of days ago, and I haven't had time to get to know him yet."  
  
" Trust me, Malon, I've been around Sheik for years, and I still can't claim to know him all that well, so don't feel alone."  
  
Laying an arm around Malon's shoulder, Nabooru began to work on her plan. This was the opportunity she had been waiting for, for so long.  
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤  
  
And that's it for this chapter. Hopefully, you'll get to know Sheik a bit better in the next chapter, and Nabooru's plan will show a bit more.(I think.) - Metallicafangirl. 


	8. To Be Honest

Chapter eight! I'm on a roll! I'll let Sheik have this chapter all for himself.  
  
Sheik: Thank you so much!  
  
Mfangirl: Shut up, Sheik.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda, if I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. I am making no money of this; I am only using the characters from the game.  
  
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤  
  
"Honesty is a hard attribute  
  
To find when we all want  
  
To seem like we got it all  
  
Figured out"  
  
- Trying, Lifehouse.  
  
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤  
  
Sheik chuckled quietly to himself when he was out of earshot from Nabooru and Malon. It was fun to see Nabooru again. It had been a few months since last time, and she always had some way of cheering him up. Ever since he had come to Gerudo Fortress, shadowing Ganondorf, she had been a friend of his. One of the precious few he had.  
  
Ganondorf.. Yes, that had been years ago.  
  
¤¤Flashback¤¤  
  
He had waited till nightfall before he sneaked into the large fortress that housed Ganondorf and his followers. After many hours of searching through the desert he had found it, built into the very stone itself. It loomed over the desert like an ominous storm cloud. He had stood petrified for what seemed like hours before finally striking up the courage to enter.  
  
It was hard, getting inside without getting caught by the guards that swarmed the place, but he had made it, if barely. It was just a matter of keeping in the shadows, really. Sure, it was a close call a few times, but he made it.  
  
Sheik had just about reached the throne room, where he knew Ganondorf must reside, when a hand grabbed him by the neck. Before he could react, he was pulled into a small room. Cursing himself for his thoughtlessness, he turned around quickly to meet the eyes of a young redheaded girl.  
  
"Well, well, what have we here?"  
  
¤¤End of Flashback.¤¤  
  
That was how it had begun, his and Nabooru's friendship. An unlikely beginning, but so was their friendship. Shaking off his memories for a moment, he had now reached the newly built gate at the other end of Gerudo Valley. /Thank god for the suspiciousness of the Gerudo. If those gates wasn't there, whoever attacked the Ranch could attack here at any moment./ But he didn't need to worry about that, thanks to Nabooru.  
  
Speaking of Nabooru, he wasn't quite sure about what she was up to, she had had a positively devious look on her face when he left. She was planning something, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out what.  
  
He reached the gate, and glanced at the Gerudo's guarding it. He recognized one of them, Kalira was her name. She was old enough to be Sheik's grandmother, and that was what she acted like. She was the first Gerudo after Nabooru herself to warm up to him. Sheik smiled at the old woman when she waved at him, and waved back. He halted Jazirah in front of her.  
  
"My lord, it has been a long time." She greeted.  
  
"Kalira, you have known me since I was twelve. Please, tell me why you insist on calling me lord?" He asked.  
  
"Well, it ain't because you deserve it." Kalira retorted." You leaving already?"  
  
Sheik nodded, and looked over her shoulder at the group of redheaded girls gathered behind her. They looked at him as if he was some kind of exhibition. When they noticed he was looking at them, they re-doubled the intensity in their stare.  
  
"Uh, exhibit A is getting nervous." He piped up after a minute or two. Kalira turned around and sent a glare at the young girls.  
  
"Get back to work! You've got better things to do than to check out boys!" She barked.  
  
Immediately, he girls got back to work, blushing furiously. Sheik himself was blushing a bit too, thankful that his veils hid it. He wasn't used to girls looking at him. Maybe it was a remnant of the days he had spent in hiding during the years that princess Zelda had pretended to be him.  
  
He snapped out of his musings when Kalira turned back to him, and apologized for their behaviour.  
  
"It's alright."  
  
"No, it's not, they should know better. By the way, where's the girl you came with?" She asked.  
  
"Once again, the speed at which news travel in this place amazes me. She is staying here, while I go back to Hyrule to try and get some information. Try to keep Nabooru in check while I'm away?"  
  
"Of course! Good luck!"  
  
"Thank you."  
  
With that, he left Gerudo Valley, and headed off towards Hyrule Castle Town. Sighing, he looked back over his shoulder, and wondered how many new scars he'd have when he came back next time. He had a feeling things weren't alright in Hyrule at the moment. The attack at Lon Lon Ranch was only the beginning. He had noticed other things over the months he had spent in the Castle Town. Things that, when considered separately, weren't strange at all, but when put together made an entirely different picture. Something was seriously wrong, and it was up to him to fix it.  
  
The problem was, he had no idea where to start, but he couldn't tell that to anyone. He must seem like he knew what he was doing, like he was invincible, because if he didn't people might start to loose faith. He couldn't let that happen, it was too dangerous for them. Ganondorf may be gone, but evil certainly remained. The attack on the Ranch was enough to prove that.  
  
Much as he hated to admit it, he was going to need Kalira's well-wish before this was over. He wasn't all comfortable with it, but he had a feeling he'd need help, lots of it, and soon, if he would ever be able to solve the mystery.  
  
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤  
  
And that's it for chappie eight. I'm sorry if I haven't updated fast enough, but I have several fics going at the same time, and I have to update them too. I hope you liked this chapter.  
  
- Metallicafangirl. 


	9. Unexpected Help

Well, since I am apparently forced to continue this as quickly as I can, here's the next chapter. Soda, I know you want me to update fast, and forget about the other fics, but I can't do that. I have basically received death-threats in the reviews for the other fics. Hopefully, though, I'll be able to update at least once a week.  
  
.  
  
"Let me be the first to say  
  
That I don't have a clue  
  
I don't have all the answers  
  
Ani't gonna pretend like I do"  
  
-Trying, Lifehouse.  
  
.  
  
Sheik hurried to cross Hyrule Field towards the Castle Town. He thought he saw some of the bandits hiding close to the entrance to Lake Hylia, but he wasn't sure. He stopped for a moment at he still smoking ruins that, four days ago, had been Lon Lon Ranch. He wondered angrily why no one from the Castle Town or elsewhere had come here and looked for survivors, or at least to put out the fire. Shaking his head, he continued to the Castle Town.  
  
When he reached the capital, he halted for a moment, wondering whether he should enter or not. No doubt the Hero of Time would be there, and during his adventures, said Hero had encountered Princess Zelda as Sheik. If the real Sheik now entered the Castle Town, Link would immediately assume he was the Sheik that had travelled with Link on his quest. Sadly, there was no other way to alert Princess Zelda, or ´Cousin Zelda´, as they had started to call her during her training.  
  
She had com with Impa one day to the little settling that Sheik had escaped to after leaving Gerudo Fortress. Sheik had been small as a child, and he was the only one who could trade identity with the Princess, and still make it look believable. After that, he had gone into hiding. Seven years in hiding had made him a secretive person, one of the least talkative people in Hyrule.  
  
Now he was in Hyrule's capital, for the first time in daylight, and for the first time as Sheik. He rode through the gates, marvelling at all the people in the small market-square. He passed a little girl, who looked up at him, dropped the basket she was carrying, and ran off, screaming; ´The maple syrup revenge!` , at the top of her voice. He shook his head, deciding to ignore the strange child. He continued through the capital until he reached the Royal Castle itself.  
  
There, he dismounted from Jazirah, threw her reins to a guard, warning him that she could bite if angered, and headed into the castle. Running up the stone steps, he passed several surprised noblemen and women, who stared after him, wondering who the hell that had been. He reached the throne-room, and didn't hesitate for a moment before throwing the doors open.  
  
The young woman sitting on the throne looked up, and the young man standing beside her drew his sword, getting ready to attack Sheik. Sheik only sighed, frustrated. Why did that idiot have to be there? Couldn't he just have gone and visited his friends, or something? Instead of wasting time on the Hero of Time, Sheik turned to Zelda.  
  
"Zel, you've got some problems." He told her.  
  
"What problems?" She answered, recovering nicely after his entrance.  
  
"Oh, nothing big, just Lon Lon Ranch being burned to the ground" He said, dryly.  
  
* * * * * * ** * * * *  
  
On the other side of Hyrule, in the great Fortress that belonged to the Gerudo, the once inhabitant of said ranch was being dragged through the halls of the fortress. Helplessly trailing behind Nabooru, Malon was starting to wonder if the woman was really sane. She had been chatting non-stop since Malon arrived.  
  
"And then, he looked at me and said-" The redhead was saying.  
  
Malon tuned her voice out, thinking about something else. Sheik. He had been nice to her, cared about her, when he really had no reason to do so. He was going to fix this. He had to. If he didn't, she didn't know what she would do. Sure, she knew he wasn't some kind of super- human, and he didn't know everything, but he just had to do this.  
  
**************************  
  
He had explained what had happened to Lon Lon Ranch, leaving out the parts about him rescuing Malon and bringing her to Gerudo Fortress via the Sheikah Valley. They didn't need to know that, but he was sure that Zelda had figured it out anyway. She wasn't the smartest person he knew, but she did have her bright moments. The Hero of Time had gotten a few facts straight, and no longer believed that he was the Sheik that had accompanied him on his adventures. But, heaving learned that, Link had turned to Zelda and asked her why she had lied to him. Zelda had only answered that she hadn't lied to him, he had never asked. Sheik had never been so proud of his adoptive cousin as he was then. Which only showed how thick she usually were.  
  
Now remained only the matter of what to do about the bandits raiding Hyrule Field, killing everything in sight. They had come to the conclusion that the bandits were on horse-back, anything else would be ridiculous.  
  
"I'm not going to pretend like I know what to do, Zel. I don't know how you should go about defeating these raiders." Sheik told her. Then, a thought struck him. There were no Hyllian cavalry, but he knew someone who could probably lend a hand.  
  
"But I might know someone who does." He continued.  
  
Zelda looked at him hopefully. She would do anything to rid her beloved kingdom of the raiders. She had always been a bit overprotective of her kingdom. Sheik was now sitting down in a chair in front of the throne, his long legs stretched in front of him. Link had left a little while ago, to train or whatever. Sheik didn't really care, as long as the annoying boy wasn't in the same room as himself. He didn't know why, but he had instantly disliked the so-called Kokiri. Maybe it was because he was so helplessly stupid, or because he probably didn't even know how to spell tact. Either way, Sheik didn't like him.  
  
Shaking himself out of his speculations, he grinned at Zelda. Of course, she couldn't see it, as he still had his veils on, but he grinned all the same.  
  
"I think it's time to put all those old rivalries aside, Zel. It's time to call in the Gerudo's. I'm sure Nabooru will be delighted to help."  
  
.  
  
And that's it for this chapter. The romance part didn't get much room in this one, but tune in next time to see the nobles' reactions to Sheik, and how the Hylian Guards react upon hearing they will have to step aside and let the Gerudo fight for them.  
  
- Metallicafangirl. 


	10. The Letters to Nabooru

I have a grand total of twenty-six reviews on this story! A new record! Wohooo! Thank you all reviewers! Now that I have thanked you all properly I'll get on with the story.  
  
*sighs* *looks over at guitar standing in the corner* Maybe when I finish this chappie, I'll have some time to actually learn to play that thing.  
  
Oh, I almost forgot! I don't own anything, so please don't sue me.  
  
.  
  
" I really don't mind  
  
What happens now and then  
  
As long as you'll be my friend at the end"  
  
- 3 Doors Down, Kryptonite.  
  
.  
  
When the Hylian guards heard that they would be fighting alongside the Gerudo's, they literally went nuts. They went stark raving mad. Then, when the head that they wouldn't actually fight at all, but sit back and le the Gerudo's do the job, their screams of rage could be heard from Lake Hylia to Death Mountain. The Hylian nobles complained, whined and even outright threatened, but Sheik and Zelda couldn't be convinced otherwise, simply because they knew they were right.  
  
.  
  
After a while, Sheik tired of hearing the whining nobles, and took refuge on one of the castle roofs. There he sat for a while, pitying Zelda who had to handle these annoying people every day. Suddenly, he realized that they had forgotten to ask Nabooru if she even wanted to help them. They had just assumed that she would. Swearing to himself, Sheik pulled out a wooden whistle form his shirt, and put it to his lips. It emitted a sharp cry, much like that of a hunting hawk. Then he waited. He didn't have to wait long, however. After only a few minutes, a large bird of prey came swooping down towards him. He stuck out his arm, and let it land on it.  
  
It was a nighthawk from Death Mountain. It was black as midnight, and more intelligent than most people Sheik knew. The nighthawks had a long lifespan, and this one had followed Sheik for as long as he could remember. He stroked its feathers, and it turned its head to look at him. Quickly writing a short message on a scrap of parchment, Sheik sent it away again, flying towards Gerudo Valley this time. Satisfied, he sat down to wait again. It seemed to be the only thing he did nowadays. Before he knew what was happening, his thoughts turned towards a certain redhead he had met a few days ago.  
  
**********************************  
  
Malon too, was sitting on a roof, but it was the roof of Gerudo Fortress. It had been five days since Sheik left her here, but she had come to think of it as her home. She had quickly fallen into the role as a Gerudo, and found that she enjoyed it. Still, she missed the Ranch, and her father, but most of all, she missed Sheik. It was strange; she had only been around him for two days, but she missed him. He had in that short time become the closest thing to a real friend she ever had. Link didn't really count, as he had never talked to her, and she hadn't met any other people her age. Shaking her head, she turned her thoughts towards the present time.  
  
Nabooru had insisted she learned how to fight now that she was living with the Gerudo, who were a warrior people. Nabooru also held the firm belief that she was really a Gerudo, despite Malon's attempts to convince her otherwise. So now, she was learning how to shoot with a bow, the kind called a cavalry bow. She had tried, and failed, to learn the sword. She was simply not made for it.  
  
Now, she was sitting on the roof, ´guarding´ the Gerudo Fortress. Like they needed any protection. Hah! They could probably beat any army the world threw at them without as much as breaking sweat. She snorted to herself. Nabooru was paranoid. A movement caught her eye. It was a bird, heading directly for the fortress. Puzzled, she continued to look at it. It had something in its claws.  
  
Malon was surprised when it landed right in front of her. She had no time to wonder why though, as it dropped what it was carrying, and took to the air again, this time landing on the large pole that served as a flag-pole for the Gerudo. She picked up the piece of parchment the bird had dropped, and read its contents.  
  
"NABOORU!"  
  
*******************  
  
And y'all are gonna kill me for that cliffhanger. *smiles*  
  
- Metallicafangirl 


	11. Waiting For Friends

Eleventh chapter.......I have gotten quite far, haven't I? I know you all want to kill me for that cliff hanger, but hear me out please. I originally wrote a longer chapter, but the darn computer shut down, so I lost it all, and when I re-wrote it, I couldn't remember what I wrote. Sorry, I really am! And I'd like to congratulate Jordiscy on her marriage to Sheik.  
  
I couldn't find a song-quote to fit this chapter, so I just chose one at random. If it doesn't make sense, blame the plot. ´Blame yourself, or God..` (dunno where that came from, but it's a cool quote, so I'll let it stay.) Hey, wait, maybe the son-quote actually fits the chapter! Heh, just ignore this whole paragraph.  
  
Anyway, here's the chapter.  
  
.  
  
"There are so many things you say  
  
That make me feel you crossed the line  
  
What goes up will surely fall  
  
And I'm counting down the time"  
  
- Hit The Floor, Linkin Park.  
"So he wants our help, eh?" Nabooru asked no one in particular. Malon had run straight to her with the letter. It had been a plea for help, signed by Sheik. He was asking for the Gerudo's to come to Hyrule Caste Town, because he needed their help. Why, or what for, Malon didn't know, she had only read the first few lines. It had felt like she was intruding, reading someone else's letter.  
  
"Yes, he does." She answered.  
  
"Well, I recon we owe him. He did help us quite a few times before. I'll go talk to Kalira, and we'll see what we can do." She got up from her seat, and went looking for the older Gerudo, leaving Malon to either follow her, or go back to sitting on the roof, doing nothing. Naturally, she chose to go after Nabooru.  
  
After some searching, they found Kalira down by the training centre.(A/N: I don't know if that's what it's called, but you know what I mean) She was overseeing the training of a group young Gerudo's. Malon felt sorry for the girls; Kalira was a very stern taskmaster, or taskmistress rather, and she was driving the poor girls as hard as she could. She turned when they approached, and smiled.  
  
"What can I do for you?" She asked, momentarily forgetting the girls she was training, and in doing so, earning them a welcome moment of rest.  
  
"That good-for-nothing Sheik wrote to me, asking for the Gerudo to help with some raiders in Hyrule. He says it's urgent." Nabooru explained, waving the letter as if to prove she was telling the truth.  
  
"Well then, what are you waiting for? Winter? Get over there already!" Kalira said.  
  
So it came that Nabooru and the other Gerudo's, among them Malon, rode across Hyrule field towards the capital. Nabooru had decided to bring Malon to help her little plan along. She had decided, without any hep that Sheik desperately needed someone to take care of him, and Malon was just right for the job.  
  
*************************  
  
A few days after he sent the letter to Nabooru, Sheik was walking across the grounds in front of the castle, heading for the gates. The guards had finally ceased to whine about the Gerudo and instead started to fortify the town. Why this was necessary, he didn't know as the fight would mainly take place on Hyrule Field, but it seemed they wanted to do it, so he let them. Yes, he let them, not Zelda. Sheik had been given the command of Hyrule's military force, and he intended to use that command to full extent. He had started by inspecting his troops, and coming to the conclusion that they were in need of training. Serious training. But that would have to wait for a while.  
  
Sometimes, he wondered why he ever got himself involved in this. The soldiers were disrespectful, but he had expected that. What he hadn't expected though, was the way they spread rumours about him, and how they talked about him behind his back, insulting him. It confused him. He had never even tried to insult them, yet they did so every chance they got. And it wasn't just the usual things, such as ´idiot´, or ´bastard´. It had been uncomfortable at times, and he didn't really feel up to commanding them. But their time would come. He would show them that he wasn't the kind of person to put up with this.  
  
Once again, he wished that Nabooru would come. He didn't want to be alone in the Castle anymore. The Gerudo had become almost like a family to him, and he missed them, every single one of them. He even missed the way Nabooru would try to get him to dress in something else than the traditional Sheikah uniform. He missed Malon too, for some odd reason. He had only known her for a few short days, but she had become one of his precious few friends. She had laughed when Nabooru had chased him all over the Fortress, she had trusted him well enough to believe every word he said, and last, but not least, she had listened when he talked. That wasn't very usual. The only other people to do that were Nabooru and Kalira.  
  
Well, all he could do now was to wait for his friends and allies to arrive. He never for a second doubted that they'd come. It wasn't like any of them to say no when he needed help. They were so loyal to him, it wasn't even funny. So he settled in to wait for them, while plotting gruesome deaths of the Hylian Guards under his command. 


	12. Road We're On

And, after many, many, many, many, many days, an update! I bet you all hate me for putting this on hold for so long, but I got caught up in my other stories. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, I can't possibly express how sorry I am for letting you wait for so long, but here it is.  
  
**'  
  
"I know you fell helpless now,  
  
And I know you feel alone  
  
That's the same road, that's the same road  
  
That I'm on."  
  
- Road That I'm On, 3 Doors Down  
  
.  
  
Malon wrapped her cloak tighter around her. After only a few days in the desert, she had grown used to the temperature, and was therefore shocked by the chill of Hyrule Field. They should reach the Castle Town by nightfall, which was only hours away, and she was more nervous than she'd care to admit. Of course, she'd known before they'd set out that there would be fighting, but she was afraid all the same. It wasn't herself she feared for either, it was Sheik.  
  
It wasn't that she doubted his capabilities, or his skill, she knew he was both capable and skilled enough to take care of himself. But a stray arrow didn't need skill to find its mark. It only took luck for the owner of it. She wished there was anything she could do to stop this brewing war, but there wasn't. she couldn't exactly share her thoughts with the Gerudo's; no matter how much she liked them, they were a warrior people after all, and were probably excited at the prospect of a war. She was in the middle of a crowd, and still she felt alone. And she felt to damn helpless.  
  
She sighed. She had changed, and she didn't know whether she liked it or not. The girl she had been a few weeks ago would have been terrified at the thought of a war. She still was, but now she could deal with it if it came her way. Nabooru had spent hours together with Kalira trying to drill Malon for the upcoming war. They had told her of what happened, and had let her read books on war found in their extensive library, books written not by heroes, but by survivors. And she never thought of war as glorious again.  
  
It had only been a little over two weeks, but she was a different person now than she was then, almost as if she had stared a whole new life. And in a way, she had. She no longer lived at Lon Lon Ranch, her father Talon was dead, she had been saved by a man known as Sheik, and she had travelled to the deserts and back, learning how to fight for herself. She had lost some innocence, but gained a lot of knowledge, and as many said, knowledge is power. The wise knew what to do, and knowing what to do was comforting. Or it would have been if it wasn't so damn lonely.  
  
*****'  
  
Sheik surveyed his troops once again, sighing in defeat. If Nabooru didn't come soon, they were as good as dead. He had never seen any troops quite as badly trained as these. If he were to take on any kind of raiders with them, he'd better pray to the Goddesses, because this was bad. Really bad. They couldn't even harm the straw dummies for Farore's sake!  
  
"Troops dismissed." He called, waving a hand at them absentmindedly.  
  
He climbed up on the walls, desperately trying to see any sign of Nabooru, as he had been for the better part of the day. His troops still though him to be a freakish outsider who had no place in commanding the Hylian army, and he had stared to plot their demise. Thus far, he had come up with; 1) chucking them off the bridge leading to Gerudo Fortress, 2) forcing them to listen to Link prattle on about nothing at all until their inner organs jumped up and strangled their brains. Needless to say, he hadn't been trying very hard, although the part about strangling their brains was kind of good...  
  
He felt lonely without anyone to talk to. Sure, there was Zelda, but he hadn't seen her in years, and there was a reason for that; they didn't really have anything in common that they could talk about. Then there was always Link of course, but only if he was feeling really, really suicidal. He missed Nabooru, Kalira, and even Malon. He was getting impatient, and not only because of the lack of people to talk to, but the fact that the raiders hadn't moved one inch since he came to the Castle Town. It was almost as if the were planning something. He didn't know what, but it was something.  
  
It was said that some people had a sixth sense and knew when it was going to rain. He had something like it, only he knew when it was going to be fighting in the near future, and that sense was practically setting off alarms in his head loud enough to wake the dead. The trouble was, he didn't know when the attack would come, and even if he did, he would have nothing to defend himself with. And it made him feel so damn helpless.  
  
Suddenly, a glint of sunlight reflecting off some piece of metal alerted him that someone was coming up the road to the castle. He squinted, trying to see who or what it was, and nearly fell off the wall. It was not someone, but several someone's, and they were carrying the Gerudo War banner. Barely suppressing a victory cry, he jumped down the stairs and ran towards the gate, ignoring the curious looks he got from the Hylian soldiers and whatever servants were out in the courtyard.  
  
The Gerudo had finally come, and they had brought every able-bodied fighter in the Fortress with them.  
  
***'  
  
Malon tried to keep her head down when they entered the market place. There were so many people here that knew how she looked like, if not who she was, and she couldn't afford to be recognized right now. These people doubtlessly knew about the Ranch being burned to the ground, and would ask her about her father and where she had been, and she couldn't handle that right now. She had never really gotten over her father's death; instead, she had opted to forget about it until later when she would have time to handle it. She couldn't fall apart now, she just couldn't.  
  
So, she kept her head down, and followed Nabooru's lead towards the castle, even though she had been there countless times before while delivering milk to the castle kitchens. Nabooru didn't seem to realize that her newest recruit was hiding as much as possible of her fact in her cloak, and cheerily prepared to ask the gate guard to let them in. The trouble was, there was no gate guard. This puzzled them, especially Malon, who couldn't remember a time when the gate hadn't been manned.  
  
They didn't need to dwell on this for long, though, as a blue-and-white streak of lightning came bolting down the road from the palace. Castle. Whatever.  
  
"Sheik, you little brat!" Nabooru yelled at him, for it was indeed Sheik, and waved an arm in the air in a typical Nabooru gesture that would have looked ridiculous if it was any one else, but only looked natural with her.  
  
"Nabooru! What the hell took you so long?" Sheik yelled back, skittering to a stop beside Nabooru's horse.  
  
"We didn't get your bloody latter till three days ago, and getting fighters organized isn't done quickly, twit. But now we're here, so why don't we get cracking?"  
  
But Sheik wasn't listening anymore. He had spotted Malon. He walked up to her horse, took the reins, and proceeded to swing himself up behind her. He did not look happy.  
  
"Hey, Sheik, what are you doing? Too tired to walk another step?" Nabooru tried, lamely, to joke.  
  
He turned his head to glare at her, and set off towards the castle without another word. Malon put her head in her hands, and suppressed a groan. This was not a good day. She did not want to look at Sheik's face; she didn't want to know what she'd find there. What could possibly have made him so angry?  
  
What did she do wrong? 


	13. Meeting the Queen

Here's another one. I'd like to apologize for not updating this as early as I thought I would. My computer's been having a field day with me, refusing to start and shutting down when I'm out on the internet, among other things. Hopefully, this problem will soon be solved.  
  
****'  
  
"Hey, all I want is what's real  
  
Something I touch and can feel  
  
I'll hold it close and never let it go"  
  
- Bullets, Creed.  
  
.  
  
Sheik jumped off the horse, not letting go of the reins, and stared coldly at Nabooru, who had followed them up to the castle. He refused to even look at Malon, and he still looked angry. Malon herself didn't dare look at him, and was staring down at her hands.  
  
"Hey, Sheik, what's wrong?"  
  
He gestured to Malon.  
  
"What possessed you to bring her?" He asked, barely hiding the rage in his voice.  
  
"I brought her because we need her. And don't you dare protest, Sheik, you know I'm right."  
  
"Nabooru, what part of ´war´, is it that you don't understand? This is dangerous, Nabooru, and I cannot allow for Malon to be in the middle of it."  
  
"So you're saying you wanted me to leave her in the Fortress, all alone but for a few guards? What if the raiders had come there, instead of here? Then what would you do?" Nabooru asked, her hackles raised." I know just as well as you do that that would have been worse than bringing her here."  
  
She glanced over at Malon who was sitting on her horse still, not daring to look either at her or at Sheik. She seemed to be holding back tears. Poor girl; she hadn't done anything wrong, but Sheik was angry with her anyway.  
  
"Now look what you did! Give her a hug and say you're sorry, or I'll whip that sorry ass of yours!" Nabooru ordered.  
  
He looked at Malon, as if seeing her for the first time since they arrived. His face fell, and he seemed to calm down as fast as he got angry. He helped her off the horse, and threw the reins to one of the stable hands.  
  
"Hey, Malon, I'm not angry with you, alright? Please, don't cry? Please?" He wheedled, while giving her a hug.  
  
Malon sniffed, and nodded. She dried her tears and smiled at him. He smiled back.  
  
"There, not so bad, is it?" Nabooru cut in. "Let's go meet this Queen of yours, then."  
  
Sheik hurriedly let go of Malon and led the way towards the throne room, avoiding looking at Malon as much as possible. Nabooru grinned to herself; things were going according to plan. Of course, since it was her plan, it was brilliant.  
  
**'  
  
Zelda was trying to calm the nobles down, telling them that there was no possible way for them to take on the raiders by themselves, and that they needed the Gerudo. She was close to giving up when the doors slammed open to reveal Sheik and a woman with red hair, and an equally red haired girl that looked vaguely familiar.  
  
"Zel, the help has arrived." Sheik called out, gesturing to the woman at his side. Apparently, this was the Nabooru he had talked about, the leader of the Gerudo thieves. Thieves or soldiers, she didn't care.  
  
She rose to her feet to give the woman a proper greeting. Every other person in the throne room was silent now, watching as their Queen and ruler welcomed a, in their eyes, barbarian woman.  
  
"Welcome to Hyrule Castle, my lady. We are honoured to have you here."  
  
"Oh, sit down, will you? You look ready to fall over, girl, when did you eat last?" Nabooru shot back, sounding concerned.  
  
Sheik hard a hard time holding back laughter, and was practically rolling on the floor, while the nobles in the room tried to gather up their jaws that had dropped to somewhere in the vicinity of their knees.  
  
"Nabooru, you idiot, this is the Queen, you can't order her around!" He managed to get out before collapsing to the floor in a helpless fit of laughter.  
  
Behind him, Malon was trying very hard not to follow him. Nabooru's expression was too hilarious to stand. Then, at just the wrong moment, Link burst in through the door. He took in the scene; Nabooru looking confused, Sheik rolling around on the floor, Zelda looking even more confused, and Malon not far from laughing, and then scratched his head in confusion.  
  
"Uh, Malon, what are you doing here?" He asked.  
  
Everyone snapped around and faced him, Sheik immediately stopped laughing, and Malon smiled a bit.  
  
"I came with the Gerudo, Link." She said.  
  
*****'  
  
A few hours later, when all misunderstandings had been cleared up, and the nobles had given whining, and thrown up their hands in disgust, Malon followed Sheik out to the courtyard, where all the Hylian Guards had gathered for their daily inspection. Link had pestered her about when, how and why she had come, but she had finally managed to explain to him, and had gotten away.  
  
To Malon's confusion, the Guards were talking to each other, ignoring both Sheik and any form of discipline. And Sheik didn't seem to be doing anything about it. He just stood there, looking at them impassively, arms crossed over his chest.  
  
After a while, the Guards were still talking. Even Malon was fed up with them at this point, and Sheik still hadn't moved. She pulled out an arrow and knocked it quietly on her bow. It was time to give these Guards a lesson.  
  
The faint creak alerted Sheik that Malon had done something, and a quick glance to his side confirmed his suspicions; she had drawn her bow. He grinned beneath his veils, and winked at her. Now, all they had to do was wait for the Hylians to notice, which shouldn't take long. They were throwing glances in his direction every now and then, laughing and joking about him. Well, this time they were in for a surprise.  
  
He was right, it didn't take long. One after the other, the Guards noticed Malon, and more importantly, Malon's bow. After a minute or two, all of them were silent. Sheik grinned again.  
  
"Hey, what do you think you're doing? You can't threaten us like that!" One of them called out.  
  
"Threaten you? I was not aware that I was threatening you?" Sheik said, one eyebrow raised.  
  
"She is merely inspecting her bow. There is a war coming, after all, which all of you seem to have forgotten. Today," he looked up at the large clock on the castle wall,"it took you a quarter of an hour to line up. Tomorrow, it will take less than a minute, understood?"  
  
"You can't order us around, you're just some pathetic little moron who thinks he's a friend of the Queen's!" The same Guard called back.  
  
"Pathetic, am I? Idiot, am I? Well, let me tell you little Guard, that while you were lazing you days away here at the castle, growing fatter my the hour, I was out in Hyrule Field, making sure you didn't have to move your lazy ass further than a few feet every day. As for thinking I am friends with the Queen, I am a friend of the Queen's. In fact, I am more than just a friend; I am her teacher, her adoptive cousin, and her commander."  
  
"Commander?"  
  
"Yes; commander. She gave me command over Hyrule's military force, which I am sad to say, is the most pathetic group of men I have ever seen. Which is why I called in the Gerudo. Now, you will go on fortifying the town, while I and the Gerudo take care of the fighting. If I hear one word about how pathetic I am, or how worthless the Gerudo are, I will let my friend here shoot you." He jerked a thumb towards Malon, who did her best to look dangerous.  
  
The Guards left as quickly as they could, all the while throwing fearful glances at Malon and Sheik. As soon as they were out of sight and earshot, he turned to Malon. He grinned, and she smiled slightly back, even though she couldn't see his face. She put away her bow and arrow, just in time to be enveloped in a bear-hug from Sheik.  
  
"Thank you, Malon. I've been trying for day's now, but I couldn't make them believe me or anything I had to say. Thanks." He said.  
  
"Uh, that's alright." She answered, not knowing exactly what to say.  
  
Someone had turned her world upside down; she was treated like an equal by the Gerudo, she had just scared off a squad of Hylian Guards, and Sheik had hugged twice in one day. Yes, her world was definitely upside down. 


End file.
